December 1977 to April 1978 data collection includes chemical and physical profile measurements from the R/V Melville across the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and other ocean basins. The dataset contains measurements for dissolved inorganic carbon, total alkalinity, salinity, temperature, nutrients, and dissolved gases. It was collected by researchers from Columbia University and Princeton University as part of the GEOSECS Indian program.
Use Cases
- Model ocean carbon uptake and acidification by analyzing DISSOLVED INORGANIC CARBON (DIC) and TOTAL ALKALINITY (TA) against SALINITY and WATER TEMPERATURE.
- Study water mass age and circulation using tracer data like DELTA CARBON-14, Tritium, and DELTA HELIUM-3 correlated with HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE profiles.
- Analyze nutrient cycling and primary productivity by examining NITRATE, NITRITE, phosphate, and silicate concentrations across different ocean basins.
- Calibrate modern oceanographic models by comparing historical Potential temperature (theta) and DISSOLVED OXYGEN measurements from 1977-78 to contemporary data.
Strengths
- Multi-parameter suite includes 15+ measured variables for comprehensive water column characterization.
- Data spans a 5-month cruise across 9 distinct oceanographic regions, providing broad spatial coverage.
- Profile data from CTD and discrete samples from bottles enable depth-resolved analysis.
Limitations
- Data is from a single expedition in 1977-78, limiting temporal analysis and modern comparisons.
- Sample size and spatial resolution are constrained to the specific cruise track of the R/V Melville.
- Unknown row count and potential data gaps for some variables or stations.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), originally from CDIAC/GEOSECS program.
- Collection Method
- Discrete sample and profile observations collected using CTD and bottle instruments.
- Time Range
- 1977-12-04 to 1978-04-28
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea (Eastern and Western Basin), Red Sea, Southern Oceans (>60 degrees South)